Controversial Call That Cost Syracuse A Win Against Duke Exposed A Serious Flaw In New Rule

The much anticipated Duke-Syracuse college basketball game ended
in stunning fashion when a potential game-tying shot by Syracuse
was waved off, leading to Jim Boeheim's ejection.

While the game will be best remembered for Boeheim's actions (see
below), the foul has sparked plenty of debate and shows how a new
rule has only added to the confusion of block/charge calls in
college basketball.

Here is the new rule:

"A defender must establish legal guarding position before
the airborne shooter begins his upward motion to shoot
orpass."

Previously, the defender only had to establish his position prior
to the shooter leaving the floor. According to the NCAA, the
intention of the new rule is to "provide for more offensive
freedom" and "provide clarity to make this call more
consistently." In theory the shooter could be in his "upward
motion" before he leaves the ground.

Unfortunately, the wording in the new rule is less clearly
defined.

Notice that the defender must establish his position before the
shooter begins his upward motion, and not necessarily
when the shooter begins to leave the ground. Depending on your
point of view, those two rules do not mean the same thing.

Here is the play in question.

When does Fair begin his upward motion? If we are going to say it
is when he actually starts moving up, then the defender appears
to have already established his position. In the above clip, Fair
doesn't actually start moving up until just prior to contact*.

ESPN

However, you can also make an argument that the upward
motion began when he placed the second hand on the ball and
began the process of taking the shot. That moment occurs much
earlier and the defender is still sliding to his right.

ESPN

There is a big difference between when Fair started the motion
that led to the shot and when he actually started moving up.
There are also moments in between that could be construed as the
start of the "motion."

Even beyond the idea that basketball officials are being asked to
suddenly change the way they have been making the already tough
block/charge call for years, the new rule is not clearly defined
and is just creating more confusion.

While Boeheim may have gone too far and taken away any chance for
Syracuse to win the game, he probably had good reason to be
upset.

*One part of the rule that has not changed is that there is
nothing saying the defender cannot be moving. It is possible for
a defender to be moving and still have "legal guarding
position."